Do all mortgage companies provide you with an approved list of Kensington conveyancing solicitors? How do you know who is on the Lloyds conveyancing panel?
Kensington conveyancing firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the Lloyds conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from Lloyds directly.
I have 70 years remaining on my lease and need a lease extension for my flat in Kensington. Conveyancing solicitors on the Tesco Bank panel can deal with such extensions correct?
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Tesco Bank have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 9/3/2026 the requirements read as follows :
About to purchase a new build flat in Kensington. Conveyancing is a frightening process at the best of times but I have never purchased a new build flat before. Can you give me some examples of some of the questions asked in new build legal work.
Here are examples of a few leasehold new build questions that you should expect your new-build leasehold conveyancing in Kensington
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Forfeiture - bankruptcy or liquidation must not apply under this provision. Where there is an Undertaking being granted there is the risk of forfeiture of the Headlease subject to relief if one or more of the Underlessees are willing to accept the original Head Lessee’s obligations as otherwise relief will be denied to the Underlessees. The only alternatives are the Head Lessor agreeing not to forfeit the Headlease or the Head Lessee guaranteeing to the Underlessees that it will not be in breach of the Headlease. There must be mutual enforceability of lessee’s covenants. Will control of the Management Company (if any) be handed over to purchasers on completion of the last sale or earlier? The Lease must contain a provision on behalf of the Vendor to pay the service charges in respect of unoccupied units in order to ensure that all services can be provided.
How does the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 impact my business premises in Kensington and how can your lawyers assist?
The 1954 Act affords security of tenure to commercial leaseholders, granting the right to make a request to court for a renewal lease and continue in occupation when the lease comes to an end. There are limited grounds where a landlord can refrain from granting a lease renewal and the rules are complicated. Fees are different for commercial conveyancing. Kensington is one of our hundreds of areas of the UK in which the firms we work with are based
Last September I purchased a leasehold flat in Kensington. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to my ownership?
In a situation where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. Strange as it may seem, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.
If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).
I have attempted and failed to negotiate with my landlord to extend my lease without success. Can the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal adjudicate on such issues? Can you recommend a Kensington conveyancing firm to act on my behalf?
in cases where there is a missing landlord or where there is dispute about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 it is possible to make an application to the LVT to judgment on the price.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Kensington property is 93 Oakwood Court in June 2010. the LVT determined that the premium to be paid for the new lease was £492,083, This case related to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 37.79 years.
We own a leasehold flat in Kensington. Conveyancing was finished in last year. I have been told that I should not allow the lease length get too short. Is this correct?
Kensington domestic long term leases are for a prescribed period - normally ninety nine years when they are first granted. However many appartments in Kensington were built or converted in the 60’s and so these leases now have less than 80 years unexpired. This may seem like a long time however Banks, Building Societies and other mortgage companies tend to need leases to have a minimum of 75 years remaining to be mortgageable. This means that when you come to sell the property you will need a lease extension if you are getting close to seventy five years. To increase your property value you should be considering whether or not to extend your lease long before you come to sell it. Furthermore strong financial reasons to taking action before the lease hits 80 years as when the lease is less than 80 years the premium to be paid to extend starts to get a lot more expensive.